Tag Archive

Knowing Your Trace in Soap One of the most difficult concepts for new soapmakers to grasp is trace. Until you see trace for yourself and know for sure that you have it, it is not easy to understand. Then once you do have an understanding, you may have trouble controlling your soap recipe so you can get the trace you want. Trace is when …

Many of you are just like me. While I enjoy making all types of soaps, I typically make cold process. I find that most of the time, this soapmaking approach is the most enjoyable for me, personally. That is until something goes wrong. Then hot process swoops in and saves the batch, becoming the hero of soapmaking methods. There are …

Now that the kids are back to school, it’s time to register for the FALL term of the Soapmaking Academy, and begin your dream business. You can learn everything you need to know about making soap, including advanced artisan designs, and how to start your very own soap business. Enrollment is now open for our much anticipated, very limited 14 Week …

It’s that time of year – SUMMER! You’ve probably set up summer camps and vacations with the kids, coordinated your July 4th cookout, and planned to relax and work on a tan. Maybe you plan to take some summer courses and learn something new. But, have you given thought to starting a soap business? Maybe you have dreamed of a …

Yay! Time for a new class sampler. Are you ready to give these techniques a try? Go to the Bramble Berry site to join. This course contains 5 soap designs that demonstrate one or more intermediate to advanced soapmaking techniques. Springtime Lavender Pinwheels – created using a free pour and swirl technique Egg Hunt Pot and Drop Swirl – multiple pot swirls are …

Your Questions Answered – Ricing in Soap Q – What is ricing and what do I do when it happens? A – Ricing is when your soap separates to look like rice floating in a pot of oil. It is almost always caused by fragrance oils, but some other additives can do this as well. You can often save the …

Q – What is master batching and how do I do it? A – Master batching is simply making up a large batch of soapmaking oils and/or lye water ahead of time and using it as needed. In a large scale facility, making large batches and using the entire batch for each run is commonplace and is typically not referred …

Have a broken heart? Hate the sappy Valentine’s Day sentiments? Want the holiday over as quickly as possible? Perhaps you’d like to make soap that is for those that can’t stand Valentine’s Day. Here is a fun soap for those that have exes they want to get even with for breaking their heart. A voodoo doll does the trick. This soap is very easy …

Although many suppliers have tested the fragrances and essential oils they carry in soap, each recipe plus other factors, such as temperature, humidity, etc., are different. Therefore, you should always test the fragrances in your own recipe. If you have a number of fragrances to test, you can make a batch of soap, and mix each fragrance in a different cup or mold section. Both CP …

Enjoy this handy worksheet for determining what scents your product line is missing. Fill in the sheet with FOs and EOs you currently offer. Any areas that seem to be lacking on types of scents you may want to consider adding to your line. To get your free worksheet, click on the image above. From our website page you can …

While there are many amazing fragrance oils to use in soapmaking, this list was comprised based on the following factors: Price Popularity with consumers Work well in soap (no issues) Can work well in a blend These fragrances represent all of the main scent families, giving a new soapmaker a well-rounded starter fragrance ‘kit’. Lavender One of the most popular fragrance oils. It …

While there are many amazing essential oils to use in soapmaking creating endless possibilities, this list was comprised based on the following factors: Price Popularity with consumers Ability to blend well with other EOs Work well in soap Lavender By far one of the most popular essential oils. It has a sweet, balsamic, floral aroma which combines well with many oils including citrus, …